Only approximately 5,400 Registered Magnums were manufactured between 1935 and 1939, and all are virtually custom made revolvers that remain "state of the art" in handgun manufacture today. Production was stopped because S&W deemed to costly to manufacture the revolvers which at the time sold for $60. This particular Registered Magnum, number 4961, is an incredibly rare variation with a factory 8 inch barrel. These revolvers were custom ordered with any barrel length from 3 1/2 to 8 3/4 inches in 1/4 inch increments, making for a grand total of 23 barrel lengths. The 8 inch barrel is one of the rarest, highly sought after lengths. No true .357 Registered Magnum collection can be considered complete without an 8 inch barrel! The accompanying factory letter confirms the registration number, the incredibly rare 8 inch barrel, King red post front sight, square notch rear sight, blue finish and Magna grips. The revolver was shipped on August 21, 1939, to A.F. Stoeger Inc. of New York City. Matching serial numbers are found on the butt, right grip panel, cylinder and ejector shroud. The assembly number "43156" is stamped on the inside of the frame and crane. The Type II box has the illustration of the Magnum fitted with Magna grips. The underside of the box retains the factory white label. However, the serial number is unreadable. Provenance: Ray Cheely Collection, Chad Gripp Collection

Excellent. The revolver retains 99% original blue finish showing mild muzzle wear and a cylinder drag line. 99% plus original case colors remain on the hammer and trigger. The grips are also excellent with a couple minor dings near the bottom (left panel) and crisp checkering overall. Mechanically excellent. The box is fine with minor wear and retaining much of the illustration. A solid, documented example of an incredibly rare variation of the .357 Registered Magnum that would add value to any 20th century Smith & Wesson collection.